NOTES ON DIPTEROCARPS. 273 
For our work we have borrowed the specimens left in the 
herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, by Sir George 
King, and examined them carefully, along with the material which 
we have been able to accumulate ourselves from within the Malay 
Peninsula. ‘The result is a great reduction and a return tow ards 
older views. While reserving an opinion upon the advisability of 
retaining Vatica as it stands, we cut out of Pachynocarpus most 
of the species added to it. We consider P. verrucosus, Heim, un- 
hkely to differ from one of the other species of the genus: P. 
Wallichu, King, to consist of Vatica Wallichu, Dyer, and a Pachy- 
nocarpus confused; P. Stapfianus not to differ from the second 
part of King’s P. Wallichii: rwminatus to be the same as Vatica 
Wallichw: and P. Ridleyanus to be a Vatica likewise. Moreover we 
find at present no reason to keep up the two species Vatica obtusi- 
folia, Ridley, and V. Kelsalli, Ridley, described in the Journal of 
the Straits Branch of the Roy al Asiatic Society, No. 34, 1910, 
pp. 26-27: both appear to be Vatica Wallichii, Dyer. 
In the Calcutta herbarium are two sheets of Pachynocarpus 
umbonatus from the ‘* Herbarium Hookerianum ” with flowers; 
and in a capsule upon one of them is a detached fruit. It is clear 
that they were part of the material wpon which the species was 
described. Attached to one of the sheets is a fragment of Chinese 
paper bearing this note :—* 160, Dipterocarpeae—? Vatica. A tree 
1 to 14 feet diameter; wood very hard close and lasting, when cut 
yellowish brown, turning nearly black on drying; bark smooth, 
light coloured; vields a yellow transparent copal-lke resin. The 
gum called in Europe “dutch copal.’’ Rassak bunga—flowering 
—rassak; blooms cream-coloured, said to be very showy; tinged with 
pink when in blossom; very sweet scented. Loobook dana.” In 
the Transactions of the Linnean Society the wood of Pachyno- 
carpus was described by Sir Joseph Hooker, not as in this note, 
but as soft and white, and the wood of Cotylelobium melanoxylon 
Hook. f. which is also called “rassak” § was described as yellow, 
When seasoned turning black. Both species are said by him to 
have been got upon the north coast of Labuan, but Mr. T. H. Eley 
now i Desiclents at Labuan, is unable to ascertain for us that there 
is a bay or stream-bend there, known at Lubok dana: and we are 
not confident that Lubok dana cannot be for instance on the 
Sungei Banyu Irang in Banjermassin. The note quoted appears to 
have been Motley’s. It is to be asked not only if Sir Joseph 
Hooker wrongly assumed Lubok dana to be in Labuan, but why 
the discrepancy in the description of the wood, or if the note 
has been placed upon a wrong sheet, and belongs to Cotylelobium 
melanoxylon : but ae the number 160 Hooker gives to the other. Sir 
George King had these specimens before him when he wrote his 
account of Pachynocarpus. It is to be observed that he held his 
material of Fachynocarpus from the Malay Peninsula to differ from 
§ ‘‘Rapak’’ thé name quoted by Hooker is an error—a misreading of 
the word ‘‘rassak’’ written by Motley with the first s long. 
R. A. Soc., No. 86 1922. 
